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Just Dayum!!!!!

I am a proud father of 10 year old dog trainer. Like most 10 year olds he is absent minded and loses focus. He has grown up around labs and ducks. Frozen, fresh killed, and live mallards and pigeons have been a part of his world.

My problems began one day at Tractor Supply on chick day. When he asked "Dad can I have some chickens?" I replied sure but why don't we buy ducks instead. Visions of flyers flashed through my head. But when Gray named them Mr. Peepers, Adam, Leo, Bree and Kyle it was obvious these were pets and the "Short Happy Life of Frances Macomber" was not for them.

As it was cold these ducks were raised in a bathtub inside until warmer weather. Then they moved to my pigeon coop where 2 Mallard flyers were residing. These Pekin ducks still are fluffy yellow but are already the size of the mallards. Now my pigeon coop is not the Taj Majal.
As a matter of fact after 7 years of duck, pigeon and pheasant excrement with no paint or any upkeep, it isn't even structurally sound. This was brought home when a dog in my care busted the bottom Saturday. The 4 dogs were happy to bring all 5 baby ducks and my 2 mallards to hand.

Plan B was plastic duck crates. That was fine because I want the 2 younger dogs to learn that they can't get ducks out of the crate. The 2 mallards trained Sunday and earned their feed as shackled ducks for some younger puppies. The one problem was that as the crate was on the ground a younger dog Rhett opened the crate and grabbed a duck. Figuring it was blind luck, I didn't pay it much attention until Monday when the trick was repeated 3 times. Now I got a serious problem.

Started working on the problem yesterday afternoon. 2 duck crates on the ground. One full of fluffy yellows and the other with mallards. Being near them is ok but sniffing, scratching or pawing gets a nick and a no here. My son Gray is with me and the problem pup Rhett is starting to learn the boundaries.

I put the mallard crate in the aluminum boat and left the yellow fluffies on the ground for an A.M training session. Grabbed the pregnant bitch Annie and took her inside to a well deserved rest. Day 63 is Friday, so she is sleeping near me and is now outside of my office under 24/7 surveillance until puppies arrive. So I woke up this morning and ask Gray to let Annie go outside. He lets her out and goes with her.

Gray is becoming a decent dog trainer. Armed with a heeling stick and an e-collar this boy can handle labs that weigh as much or more than he does.

My morning ritual of Bloomberg and coffee is interupted by screaming and yelling in the yard. Looking at the back window it is apparent that the young dog Rhett and Gray are continuing our crate session and it isn't going well. So I move through the garage, not with great haste because Gray can handle my dogs.

As I saunter down the hill to the crate, I see my HRCH/MH eating a fluffy, yellow duck. As a matter of fact, all that is left is a leg and a gizzard. At this point, I see red and the results are quick, brutal and definative. Rose knows better.

Now I run down to the crate to the sight of my son collapsed against the boat with Rhett desperately trying to open the crate. Both dogs have e-collars on and after another quick session of brutality, the scene calms down.

Now comes the story, Gray put collars on both dogs and was going to continue the "stay away from the crate" session. After totally ineffective collar corrections, Rhett gets the crate open and grabs a duck. Gray took it away from him. Rhett in a frenzy then hits Gray in the groin, scratches his chest and slams him into the boat. So rendered completely powerless by a cheap shot to the nads, Gray watches while Rose and Rhett play tug of war with his pet duck. Rip it into 2 pieces and eat it.

Now my anger becomes rage. I check the collars and find one is very loose with no contact and the other has a dead battery. I tighten the collar and proceed with an obedience session on a 6. 6 is in use only because Tri-Tronics won't turn up to 100. For the next 2 minutes the session can in no way form or fashion be considered training. I then put Rose back into the kennel and put the collar on Rhett. He normally trains on a 2 so we go to 4 and he gets a session of the same around the crate.

Both dogs are now in their kennels, I feed El and Annie as they did not partake in the carnage. Feed the ducks and try to talk to Gray. He likes Rose so makes excuses for her but isn't so forgiving with Rhett. He already hates that the dogs take me away from him most weekends. I don't want this to turn into a need for counseling but it may be too late.

So far this has all been venting and confession. Now I do have a question. I am not the only owner of high drive dogs that also has children. This would have never happened if I had been outside. It also wouldn't have happened if Gray had grabbed a heeling stick instead of 2 ineffective collars. How do you transfer authority to someone who is physically unable to control this dog? How do pros go about handling this with clients who have no or poor timing, won't apply the corrections when needed and simply don't have the mindset or the strength or the knowledge to maintain standards. There will be a new rule at my house that dogs are not allowed outside of the kennel until heeling stick is in hand.

I admit that this afternoon will be spent rehabbing my training partner. We will work on putting collars on excited dogs, checking the light on the e-collar and making sure they are tight. Rhett will one day go home to a house with a 3 year old and a less than one year old. I will not allow this behaviour around my niece and nephew.

As far as the issue of Gray handling the dogs, I would just keep him away from the ones he can't handle. Hell have to resort to being overly physical to keep control and I don't think that is what you want. Just set him up to be successful just like you would a young dog. As he gets more confident and capable you can put more responsibility in him. I can relate as you well know and in my opinion certain dogs aren't cut out to be supervised by a kid. They won't respect them and will just run them over doing what they want. Sounds like Rhett needs your "guidance".

I did an ob session with rowdy in my flier pen after he broke in it. Heeling stick in hand and collar on. It was 5 min well spent and I had a dog with a new outlook after. It's about time for another come to think about it.

Justin, I have been looking for a used dog kennel to house ducks. After this morning, I doubt either dog will approach a duck crate for a while. The "obedience" session ended with the crate open and the yellow fluffies peeping at the dogs.

I did have flashbacks of Rowdy trying to pull Scott under or through the holding blind.

Gray runs all of my dogs on marks and obedience. The duck put Rhett in pure overdrive.

I have a separate gated yard for my yard ducks and geese they just run around @ their leisure, they have a coup they go in at night. On rare occasion they've escaped and ran in the yard with the dogs, dogs haven't bothered them, probably becuz the ducks are full grown. I've actually brought mallards home cut their wings and let them run with the yard ducks, has resulted in ~20 mallard crosses, which make great dog birds . But as you have fluffies, they won't be safe out until they get all their feathers, until then they are targets for anything, I don't miss those days. You might try cordoning off a section of yard the yard birds don't fly, so you only have to worry about something getting in from above.

"They's Just DAWGS"
"Hunting is a skill to be learned whether you do it early or late it still needs to be learned"
"I train dogs, Not papers"